All I Have Left to Give
by Izuna Otoshi
Summary: Kasumi faces her fate. EDITED
1. A Choice Made

**EDIT:** After looking through it, I decided to touch it up a bit. Added some content to the later fight scenes, fixed up the layout (broken into actual chapters now for easier reading), etc. Here's the edited version.

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_Author's note:_ This is set shortly after the ending of DOA3.

_Disclaimer:_ The DOA series itself, and all characters therein unfortunately do not belong to me. They belong to Tecmo, Team Ninja, and one Tomonobu Itagaki, exclusively. 

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**All I Have Left to Give**

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_A Choice Made_

The golden warmth-giving rays of the sun were beginning to wane, soft breezes of wind cascading through the leaves of the forest trees. The towering mountains far off on the horizon had started to slightly fade from view, the weakening sunlight almost creating a deep orange fog to obscure them.

If you stood motionless and listened intently, you could hear the sounds of forest animals, the sounds of streams flowing into a nearby lake, birds chirping out in song. Kasumi liked moments like these. So peaceful... so tranquil. She frequently found herself wishing that she could spend all her days like this, in solitude, at peace with herself and the world.

She sighed, allowing her legs which were drawn up close to her chest to relax and stretch out, as her back leaned on the thick trunk of an old tree. She sat on one of the higher tree branches, one which gave her a majestic view of the beautiful Japanese landscape. As the winds picked up in speed for a moment, her long auburn hair was thrust forward, some of it finally being allowed to rest on her back again, some of it now lying forward over her shoulders.

A young brown bird resting on a thin branch above hers suddenly took to flight, loosing a few leaves, green and brown. These leaves floated downward lazily toward the ground, one landing neatly on her chest. She glanced down at it, then gently lifted it, turning it in air with her fingers, gazing upon its intricate patterns. Finally, she blew softly on the leaf, allowing it to continue on its fateful journey down to the forest floor.

After watching it ride the winds for a while, Kasumi ran a hand through some of her hair, almost tossing it to her back as she turned her head, her gaze on the serene beauty that unfolded all around her. How she wished her entire life could be like this...in spite of the fact that she was being tracked, hunted down like a wild animal by her own family, even at that very moment.

The very same family who had raised her from birth, had taught her the ways of life, the ways of the Shinobi, the family who formed her into who she was. Relentlessly they pursued her daily, despite her having entered and competed in the most recent Dead or Alive Tournament.

"_Just to see him…one last time…"_

She had hoped that entering would provide some sort of sanctuary, a feeling of protection, however temporary, since she could find safety nowhere else. Not even in friends... she had depended on Hayabusa in the past, the promise he made to protect her life. The promise made to the very same person who wanted her dead; her own brother Hayate. 

Why did Hayate continue to subject her to this constant torment? Of course, she already knew the answer to this question. She was guilty of deliberately breaking one of the fundamental rules of the Mugen Tenshin Ryu's Iron Code. All she wanted was to save her dear brother's life...and now she paid daily for it. She was a runaway...a rogue kunoichi. Such things cannot be tolerated, as far as Hayate was concerned. The penalty was death. Simple, absolute. Therefore, he sent some of his best men out during the nights, to find her, and to kill her. While perched high on her tree branch, her thoughts traveled back to a few days earlier, to the most recent confrontation.

She had been lightly sleeping, as she had to whenever sleep demanded some of her time. It was a little after midnight when she heard them coming. Four or five, maybe more. Immediately, she was up, leaping to a high branch, hiding there to see when they would come, though she knew they would be able to locate her eventually.

And they did, not showing themselves immediately, but instead flinging a few bright silver, highly reflective bladed shurikens from the darkness. The shurikens whistled through the air as they homed in on their target, Kasumi standing ready, her hand steady on the handle of her wakizashi.

She swiftly unsheathed it, deflecting all shurikens with smooth, downward-swinging motions. After all had been taken care of, she hopped in a flip down to the forest floor, landing softly on one knee, without a sound. She sheathed the wakizashi, and turned sharply on her heel, breaking off into a run without a second thought.

She dashed through the dark forest, her finely tuned ninja senses helping her navigate. The other ninjas were not far behind, slowly gaining ground. She ran with full strides, short huffs of breath as she went. But they were still closing in. They would be upon her in a few more moments.

As Hayate's ninjas ran, some of them leaping along low tree branches, they threw more shurikens, intent on bringing the target to a halt. Kasumi saw an opportunity and ran straight up the trunk of a nearby tree. After a few steps, she backflipped off the tree, the incoming shurikens slamming into the tree's bark with solid "_thunk_" sounds.

While she was still upside-down in midair, the last shuriken raced by, slitting the yellow ribbon that held her hair in its ponytail. The ribbon easily snapped apart, her hair falling free as she landed. 

She was given no time to rest, however, as even more shurikens were on the way. Kasumi deftly rolled to the side to dodge them, at the same time pulling a small glowing object from the sash of her blue kunoichi uniform. It was a very potent grenade, and she hurled it in their general direction.

A moment later, it exploded, a vast fireball swirling outward from the point of impact. After that, she stepped out from hiding behind a tree to make sure all was clear. But she was fairly sure that the ninjas who were after her were smart enough and swift enough to avoid the sudden blast. And she was right, as several more shurikens emerged from the flames, all aimed straight for her.

She unsheathed her wakizashi once more, and deflected them all. By this time, the explosion from her grenade had formed a thick cloud of dark black smoke. She used it to her advantage, tricking the ninjas into thinking she had ran on ahead, while she secretly remained hidden in the cloud. She took off in the other direction, finally able to escape her pursuers.

Back in the present, Kasumi drew her knees in again, leaning forward to rest her head on them. The sun had already went down over the tallest mountain peaks on the horizon, only a soft crimson hue left to light the sky. 

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Some hours later, as the full moon was still high in the sky, the leader of the Mugen Tenshin Ryu Clan turned to face his men, arms folded, standing in the great hall of a shrine. He wore a dark blue Shinobi uniform. A dark mask which was used to cover the lower half of his face had been pulled down, revealing his entire head.

His ninjas were all kneeling, heads down, awaiting orders. He nodded to them, glancing outward at his half-sister Ayane who sat in a high tree branch just outside the shrine. She toyed with her new weapon, the one she received after defeating Genra. She was wearing a purple outfit similar to the one she'd worn during the Tournament. Turning back to face his men again, Hayate spoke.

"The assassination will take place tonight. I have had a message sent to Hayabusa, although I doubt he will reply. I believe he has a previous engagement, pertaining to exacting revenge for the destruction of his clan. As you know, in the past I have always sent men after the runaway, but every time, they return empty-handed. I have grown tired of this. So, I will accompany the group that goes out tonight." 

Ayane hopped down from her tree branch, a look of mischievous amusement on her face. "I will go, too." Hayate turned sharply on her, eyes stern. "Do **not** get in my way, Ayane. You have already disobeyed me once. Don't let it happen again." Ayane looked down at the ground, mumbling under her breath and kicking at a small pebble. However, she was glad that he didn't just say no outright. She then smirked, keeping whatever thoughts she had to herself while Hayate picked out about 15 strong from the clan to join them.

Upon departing, they ran through the forest, reaching and climbing a tall mountain for a good vantage point. At the top, Hayate leapt to the top of a bare tree, and issued orders to his men from there. They all dashed off, fanning out. Ayane took off as well, Hayate hanging back for a moment to collect his thoughts. He closed his eyes, allowing the winds to surround him, to embrace him. A few moments later, his eyes opened, as he vaulted from the treetop in a flip, heading for the dense forest below. 

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Kasumi awoke, a sudden chill going down her spine. She saw the problem; her campfire had gone out. Sitting up, she added a couple more twigs to the small fire, relighting it. Tonight had been rather cold...colder than usual. The winds were brisk. She wished she had her old blanket from home..._home_... the place she'd never be able to go back to. She sighed, pulling her knees in close to her chest to hold in as much heat as possible.

She had been dreaming about Ayane... and about her mother. Even though Ayane now despised her, Kasumi couldn't deny that she still felt love deep down within the inner reaches of her heart. She knew Ayane felt the same way... to be able to just go back to the way things were, before everything was ruined.

She also missed her mother. Ayame had always loved her dearly. Ayane had even gotten jealous, because she was always the outsider, while Kasumi had received all the attention.

"_My, how the roles have reversed..."_

Maybe there was still hope...maybe. The sudden snapping of a twig not far off jolted Kasumi from her thoughts. She reactively put the fire out, despite not wanting to give up its warmth. A moment later, she could hear the footsteps, light on the ground. They were after her again. 

She rose, securing her wakizashi in its sheath. Without a word, only a moment to gather herself, she sprinted away from the sounds, full speed down the forest path. But it was far too late, the others were too close already, and were still gaining. Listening to the footsteps, she concluded that there were two, maybe three. She shook her head. She'd had enough.

"_I'm tired of running...I can't do this forever."_

Coming to a complete halt, she turned and stood still, waiting for the pursuers to catch up. "This is...all that I have left...to give..." she said softly. Her hand slowly went to the handle of the wakizashi, her grip closing tightly on it... 

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	2. All Comes Down to This

_All Comes Down To This_

The time Kasumi had feared for so long had finally come. She knew deep inside that it would, sooner or later. The pale moon loomed high above the treetops, stars scattered about where dark clouds gathered in the otherwise pitch black sky. A harsh, unfeeling wind traveled through the area, signifying a storm on the way. Her muscles tensed up, her entire body leaning slightly forward as she waited for them. Surely enough, they came, two through the bushes, one from the higher tree branches. They stopped a few feet away, somewhat surprised to see Kasumi stand her ground. But they chuckled, drawing their katanas, one of them speaking with an arrogant smirk.

"Your life ends **here**, runaway."

She closed her reddish-brown eyes as they stepped menacingly forward. She didn't want to fight, of course, as she hated causing pain to others. But, this seemed to be the only way...the only way to put an end to the daily hell she went through. She unsheathed her wakizashi just as one of Hayate's ninjas broke into a run, sword raised. Kasumi stepped in deftly, deflecting a slash with her blade that would have otherwise removed her head. As the foolish ninja stumbled forward, she reached out with one hand, placing it on his back to pull him close while she rammed a knee to his gut. He would not go down so easily, however as he turned and swung his blade again. Kasumi ducked under, rising up with the wakizashi, slashing upwards across his chest. The man took a step back, yelling in pain as he collapsed to the ground.

The other ninjas froze for a moment after seeing him go down, but both dashed in, at the same time. She dodged two more quick swipes, spinning to plunge the blade of her short sword into one ninja's stomach. While stuck in this position, the other ninja successfully drew blood when he cut her in the upper arm, but she was quick to pull the blade from the first man, to spin around and swipe it downward across the neck of the other. As she froze in place, they both dropped to the ground almost simultaneously.

After they fell, Kasumi put her free hand over the gash in her arm, trying to stop some of the blood flow. It stung, but she would be ok. The adrenaline coursing through her veins would be enough to take her mind off of it for a while. She started to walk away from the area, but she hadn't gotten very far before she heard even more footsteps approaching, from a slightly different direction. She dropped into her defensive stance as 5 silhouettes emerged from shadow. At about this time, a light rain had begun. Kasumi's eyes narrowed. This was going to be a long night.

Two of Hayate's ninjas stood back to throw shurikens as the other three advanced. Kasumi hopped backward, while blocking the shurikens with her short sword. They came fast, and it was difficult to deflect every one, so some of them she simply dodged. Unfortunately, she wasn't quite quick enough to dodge them all, as one zipped past, just barely slicing across her thigh, ripping her white leg stocking before it slammed into a tree trunk. A moment later, another slashed at her side as it whipped past. She let out a short pained gasp as the shurikens cut her, and there were small blood spurts at her thigh and at her rib, but she would be forced to ignore the pain for now. 

She closed her eyes, locking the pain away into a far corner of her mind as she jumped into the air, pulling her own shurikens from within her uniform. With two fists full, she flung them down on her oppressors, dropping two of the five immediately. The instant she landed, one of the surviving ninjas turned around, slashing his katana at her back. She knew it was coming, and tried to speedily hop away on the rebound, but the attack came too swiftly, before she could even fully land. She yelled out again in pain as she stumbled forward, falling to one knee. As she dropped, she shot out her free hand to the ground to support herself. She remained still for just a few moments longer as the attacking ninja ran toward her again.

Just before he'd brought his sword down in a finishing blow on her, she was instantly on her feet again, grabbing at his wrist while slashing the wakizashi twice across his torso and chest. After the ninja went limp, she took the katana from his hand, sensing that the other two ninjas were coming up behind her. Allowing him to fall, she turned to throw the sword in their direction, nailing one of them square in the chest. This ninja flew back a few feet, a crimson trail tracing his path through the air until he landed hard on his back.

The last ninja hesitated, but swung his sword anyway. Kasumi parried, but was caught off guard when he kicked at her side, following up with a quick slash to her ribs. Kasumi turned to the side with the force of the slash, side-kicking the ninja forcefully in retaliation. He was sent sprawling, but rolled into a recovery on impact with the ground. He dashed forward once again, slashing angrily with his katana. 

Kasumi closed her eyes as he approached, focusing her mind on the air directly above them. Her perception of the world distorted, both sights and sounds fading into a blur as she concentrated. Her closed eyes suddenly saw the image of cherry blossoms floating against the black nothingness as the shift began, the instant body transmission which hurled her away from her present location.

A split-second later, she found herself airborne, looking down at the ninja's missed attack. As he swung his sword, all he struck was air, a burst of glowing cherry blossom leaves scattering outward all around him. The ninja looked about his surroundings in a panic as the Mugen Tenshin Ryu kunoichi descended upon him, grabbing at the man's chin as she flipped over his head. She twisted in midair before landing, to snap his neck. He was taken off his feet, spinning to the ground in a heap.

After landing softly, she flinched at the pain. Doing the teleportation was exhausting, and took an excessive amount of energy to perform. The ache from her wounds was sharp, but she had to keep going. She walked onward with a limp. By this time, the rain had increased, a much heavier rainfall pouring down, torrential sheets which lowered visibility somewhat. She was soaked to the bone, the freezing cold biting deep into her already existing cuts, amplifying the agony. By this time, she was breathing heavily, her entire body heaving with each breath. She was so tired... but there was no time for rest. They would give her no time to rest. She hadn't walked more than 20 paces before two more ninja pounced from the high treetops.

Kasumi crouched low, anticipating the arrival of the first ninja. Closing her eyes again, she focused her mind on the ground directly behind the spot where he would land. Again the surroundings distorted, and Kasumi shifted to the spot she focused on in her mind's eye. As the scenery flooded back into her vision, she saw the ninja attacking nothing but a swirl of cherry blossom leaves. He predictably swung his katana down, in an overhead slash. To punish him, Kasumi whipped around with a fierce roundhouse kick to the back of his head which sent him reeling until he collided with a tree.

The second ninja landed a few steps away, wildly slashing at her. After parrying one of his vicious slashes, Kasumi was surprised by a swift palm strike to her chin, one which forced her body up a couple inches from the ground. The ninja struck again, slamming his foot into her stomach. Kasumi was flung backward, rolling several times over after hitting the ground. Despite the growing intensity of pain from her various wounds, she still coerced her muscles into rolling into a standing recovery. As soon as she stood, the ninja was in her face again, the second one had recovered from Kasumi's kick and was moving toward them.

Grimacing, she suddenly stabbed the wakizashi directly into the man's heart, retracting it quickly. As this ninja collapsed, the other leapt high into the air again, raising his sword for a powerful slash. Fool. Kasumi swiped the wakizashi at his chest, lifting him slightly into the air. She followed up cleanly with a backflip kick, sending the ninja into a wild flail as he flipped through the air. Not quite done with him yet, Kasumi dashed at his falling body in a blur, swiping the short sword across his chest one final time. The ninja spun through the air, writhing on the ground in complete horror before his body went limp.

Finally able to take a breather, Kasumi clutched at her side, wincing terribly. The pain was unbearable. But the nightmare wasn't over yet. The rain was as heavy as ever when lightning flashed. 

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	3. Sisters

_Sisters_

"You think you can escape...?"

Thunder boomed as Kasumi went wide-eyed. The voice was all too familiar. Arrogant, sassy, full of malice and contempt. It was her sister. Ayane stood on a tree branch, glaring down at her older sister with scorn. The purple-haired kunoichi jumped down, standing only a few feet away from Kasumi with arms folded.

"Onegai...Ayane-chan," Kasumi pleaded, her brown eyes fully expressing her sorrow. "...I don't want to fight you! Please let me _be_!"

Ayane scoffed. "Liar. Don't try to act innocent and peace-loving now. You did a good job dispatching our ninjas. I _saw_ you. Saw you dismantle every one, like they were rookies."

"_Please..._" 

"**Shut up!** I am tired of your heroics! You bastard...always taking the center of attention! And what about me? I got nothing but reprimands...from Mother...from Hayate-sama...from EVERYONE. But no more. We will settle the score, here and now."

"But--" 

Kasumi was given no time whatsoever to build her argument, or even a proper defense before Ayane was upon her, striking hard with twin palm strikes into an angry mid kick which knocked Kasumi off her feet. She landed hard, rising slowly as Ayane sprinted fiercely to reach her again. Intent on never giving Kasumi the chance to strike back, Ayane continued her ruthless assault.

With a small hop, Ayane went from running full-tilt into a near-horizontal position in midair, about a foot or so above the ground. Her body spun like a drill as her feet bashed into Kasumi's midsection, just as Kasumi had almost gotten back into a standing position. Unable to defend, Kasumi was sent flying backwards, the breath being knocked from her lungs as the powerful attack connected with its target. The force of Ayane's drill kick sent Kasumi back several feet, until her path was stopped by a large rock. Kasumi screamed in agony as she sat on the ground, her back still against the rock. Ayane seemed to take pleasure in Kasumi's pain.

"...Always the better one..." Ayane muttered as she approached Kasumi again.

Just as Ayane reached her, she kicked down at her again. Kasumi rolled sideways at the last moment to dodge it, the impact from Ayane's kick leaving a considerable crack on the rock's surface where Kasumi had been only a moment ago. Kasumi rose, off to Ayane's side, behind her. Ayane did not turn to face her sister, instead taking up her fighting stance facing the opposite way. "_Mirror stance..._" Kasumi thought, bracing herself for any sudden attacks. Ayane then attacked Kasumi again, spinning on her heel to swing her arm at Kasumi's head.

More alert this time, Kasumi ducked under two such swinging attacks. Ayane continued to spin, increasing her speed as she attacked with a spinning high roundhouse kick. Kasumi stood and caught Ayane's high kick, then hopped up into the air, still holding Ayane's leg as she delivered a jumping kick of her own to Ayane's face. Startled, Ayane fell backward, her face stinging from Kasumi's reversal attack. 

Ayane was up again in an instant, however, throwing more palm strikes. Kasumi dodged and blocked them, shifting her momentum to sink her elbow into Ayane's torso. As Ayane doubled over, stunned, Kasumi then jumped over her head. While descending, Kasumi placed both feet softly on Ayane's back sideways, pulling Ayane down by the arm with her arms, landing on her back in a roll. After lifting Ayane from the ground slightly, still with her feet on Ayane's back, she kicked both legs out, fully extending them with force to launch Ayane through the air. The Hajinmon kunoichi landed facefirst, sloshing into the muddy forest floor. Only a second later, Ayane was back on her feet, teeth clenched in pure rage. "Damn you..." Ayane growled, her anger growing. "Bastard...**I'll kill you!**" 

Ayane did some strange motions with her hands, as Kasumi clutched at her side again. She recognized the hand positions as those of a Hajinmon spell, though she herself was not very familiar with the style. Ayane had begun to chant, seemingly unintelligible syllables, spoken at a fast pace. Ancient kanji symbols composed entirely of Ayane's ki formed in the air as a white aura appeared around her. It reminded her of the energy attack Ayane had attempted during their battle at the second Dead or Alive Tournament. The purple-haired kunoichi tensed up, letting loose an intense beam of white-hot energy, which ripped a path through the forest at breakneck speed, headed straight for Kasumi.

Even though she didn't feel strong enough to attempt it again, Kasumi closed her eyes, going for the teleportation technique one more time. She focused on the ground immediately behind her sister, groaning slightly as the warp began. When she had regained her vision, Kasumi's brown eyes stared directly into Ayane's enraged red ones, not more than an inch away. Then Kasumi's jaw was suddenly met with a swift backhand, Kasumi stumbling back a few steps with her face forcibly turned toward the ground. Ayane reached into her sash, pulling her father's weapon. As she tightened her grip on the deceptively simple looking grayish rod, it activated, purple beams of energy and light extending from both ends.

Ayane dashed to the still recovering Kasumi, swinging the energy-bladed weapon with malice, total fury. Sensing the immediate danger, Kasumi just barely dodged the swiping blade, but was caught full on by a spinning, high speed roundhouse kick from Ayane. Ayane's foot connected cleanly with the side of Kasumi's face, Kasumi yelping in pain as she spiraled straight into a tree trunk. Kasumi crashed completely through it, causing the mighty tree to fall in its entirety. There she lied for a few moments, wondering if she would be able to get up again. She felt like she couldn't move...and Ayane was already walking toward her, threatening to end her life.

Ayane stood over her downed sister, a look of murderous intent on her face. She growled, kicking Kasumi's side. Kasumi cringed, her body curling up helplessly. She wouldn't be able to take much more. She had to get back up, and defend herself. But she _couldn't_. The agony was too much. But she _had to_. Reaching deep within herself, she somehow found the strength to hop up, lashing out at her younger sister with a high speed combo of punches, palm strikes, and kicks. Taking Ayane completely off-guard with this sudden rush, Kasumi finished the combo with a vicious jumping, spinning kick. Ayane was sent flying several feet, crashing into the forest brush. 

Kasumi panted heavily, leaning forward. She waited...waited to see if Ayane would emerge. But she didn't. She wasn't killed, but Kasumi could sense that Ayane was unconscious. She turned her back slowly, limping away into the shadows. 

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	4. A Blossom Lost in the Wind

_A Blossom Lost in the Wind_

Kasumi had trouble keeping track of time since she'd beaten Ayane. It had probably been a couple hours that she'd been walking. She came to a stop. Her legs could barely carry her weight anymore. The intense pain added up from all her injuries was excruciating. She wavered for a moment.

"_So...tired..._" 

She collapsed to the moist forest floor. She was covered in dirt and mud, on her skin, her clothing, and in her hair. Her uniform was stained red, ripped in all the places she'd been cut, small bruises on her face. Fortunately, the rains washed away most of the blood and dirt, but the cold air still added to her exhaustion. 

"_So...tired..._" 

She closed her eyes, almost ready to fall asleep.

"_Kasumi..._" 

She opened them again a few seconds later as lightning flashed again, and saw the sandled, wrapped feet and ankles of someone standing over her. She looked up slowly, finding none other than her older brother Hayate's face. He peered down at her, the dark mask covering his nose and mouth. She froze in place, wary of the threat of his presence at first. Even though he was her brother, this was the man who sent assassins after her every night...but still, she was too tired to do anything. It didn't matter anymore. She sighed as he bent down to help her up.

"Nii-chan..." she barely whispered.

She managed to stand with some degree of difficulty, throwing her arms around Hayate in a hug.

"Nii-chan...I'm so _sorry_...for _everything_..."

Hayate's face remained set in stone, emotionless. Only deep within his eyes could she see the faintest sorrow.

"Gomen..." was all he muttered, as Kasumi suddenly felt a sharp pain in her torso. Her eyes opened wide with panic and confusion, Hayate staring back with his cold hazel eyes. He'd stabbed a dagger into her torso, and pulled it out stiffly. Kasumi's hands gripped Hayate's muscular, well-toned arms as she slowly drifted backward, tears forming at her eyes. Her mouth opened slightly, but no words would come. Finally, she hit the ground for the final time. Her vision blurred severely, a darkness closing in over her, her eyes slowly closing as her temporarily quickened heartbeat slowed down. She could feel her body shutting down. This was the end. 

"_Sayonara...nii-chan..._" she said weakly.

Hayate closed his eyes, a single tear forming in his eye as he tilted his head downward, his shoulder length brown hair falling over his face. 

"Sayonara...imouto-chan." 

Thunder rolled once again as Kasumi laid motionless, Hayate standing over her as the rain fell. 

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	5. Recollections

_Recollections_

The following day, Hayate and the surviving members of the Clan that had went with him on the assassination returned to the village, announcing that the runaway had been taken care of. Ayane had been in a strange mood ever since that night, Hayate remembered. She seemed content on the exterior that Kasumi was finally dead, but he saw a different emotion deep within her eyes, whenever he looked at her. Of course, she never showed it willingly, but it was clear to him that she was depressed, secretly. Maybe it was because she'd never had the opportunity to truly defeat her sister in battle, and that fact constantly nagged at her. Or maybe she really did still love her sister, whether she was aware of it or not.

Late in the afternoon, Hayate went into Kasumi's old room, at least, the room she used to live in before she ran away. Taking a large wooden box, he sat it on the tatami floor, then placed a few things inside. A Cherry Blossom, a few cherry blossom leaves, a yellow hair ribbon, her favorite soft pink blanket, some ripe strawberries. He added in some tarot cards from Kasumi's older belongings, a few pieces of pink origami, her decorated summer yukata, a small crystal ball. Her favorite things.

He saw a fairly recent photograph of her, in her early teens, standing before a waterfall. He picked it up, gazing at it for several moments. Then he placed it into the box. Next to that picture, he placed one of himself and Kasumi posing together from only a couple years ago. After he'd placed everything inside, he sat on her futon for a few minutes, and sighed, deep in thought. At one point, Ayane had peeked in on him from a shoji screen held slightly open, but she quickly left before he was able to see her.

Some time later, he finally stood, taking the box under his arm. The Clan Leader ventured out alone to the forest, taking the wooden box to the spot where he'd killed his sister. Sure enough, there she lay, like a sleeping angel, despite her bruises. He sat the box down, gazing at Kasumi for a moment. This was truly goodbye...

He crouched down, lifting her frail, lifeless body in his arms. Carrying her to the box, he placed her inside it. It was just large enough to fit her, and all the items he'd placed inside earlier. He reached over, grabbing the lid, to slide it shut. Before he did, however, he took one last, long glance at her face.

"Sayonara..." 

He shut it. A few moments later, he set fire to the box, the twigs underneath igniting. Within minutes, the entire box was consumed by the orange flame. Hayate sat down cross-legged, watching it burn as he spent the last moments he ever would with his little sister. Hayate did not move for hours after that, long after the sun had set. He stayed with his sister until the moon had risen high in the night sky, when the fire finally started to die down. 

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-Owari


End file.
